Collar-buttoner.



No. 676,556. Patented lune l8, I90I. A. S. HOUSTON.

COLLAR BUTTONEB.

(Application filed Dar 2. 14, 1900.)

(No Model.)

Wi t ammo %f i J ZML I UNITED" STATES ATEUT COLLAR-BUTTONER.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 676,556, dated June 18, 1901.

Application filed December 14, 1900. Serial No. 89,848. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT S. HOUSTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oollar-Buttoners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

I-Ieretofore much vexation and trouble have been occasioned in applying collar and cuff buttons, especially collar-buttons when the collar is of the high variety and close-fitting. Obviously, also, it is a great desideratum to apply such a button without soiling the collar or unduly stretching and disfiguring the buttonholes. A device for applying collarbuttons has been proposed, as evidenced by the United States Letters Patent issued to Rowland Fox July 14, 1885, No. 322,273. A device for applying cuff-buttons has also been proposed, as witnessed by the United States Letters Patent issued to L. F. Earle May 19, 1896, No. 560,199. My present invention therefore resides in an improved construction of device for applying such buttons.

In the accompanying drawings, in which I have illustrated an embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is an edge View of the device, showing how it engages the button. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the buttonholding jaws separated or unlocked. Fig. 3 is a detail view depicting the manner of using the device.

In the several views, 1 and 2 are the arms orspring members of the device. These arms are shown as formed of a single piece, which is preferably of fiat spring-steel bent together at the middle and shaped in the arms, as shown. The free ends of the'arms are curved toward each other, so as to clamp or lap when pressed together one over the other, and looked after engagement. The curved free and locking ends are recessed, as shown at 1 and 2 and when so recessed leave tongues l and 2*, and when the ends are pressed together they form a hole in which the shank of the button is held, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. These jaws can thus be not inaptly defined as bifurcate interlocking jaws.

In the practical use of the device a button alone is first put through the buttonholes of the collar-band, and then by separating the jaws of the buttoner or threading device it can be attached to the protruding portion of the buttons shank. After this the ends of the collar can be pressed onto the buttoner and then onto the shank of the button, as indicated in Fig. 3. When both ends of the collar have been so pressed onto the shank and beyond the buttoner, the buttoner and the button can be given a turn, so that the shoe of the button shall stand in a plane at right angles to the buttonhole, when the buttoner is removed and the shoe turned on its hinge to lie in its usual position. From the foregoing it will be observed that the thickness of the device through the jaws 1 and 2 where it takes the button can be made very slight, so as not to very greatly enlarge the buttonhole and therefore disfigure the collar. The ends of the buttoner opposite the jaw end can be slightly roughened, somewhat like a fine file, as indicated at 3, so that that end in warm weather can be securely held with the fingers of one hand while the collar is being pressed on with the other.

Vhat I claim is- 1. A buttoner comprising a pair of arms formed of fiat metal having bifurcate interlapping and interlocking button-shank-holding jaws, substantially as described.

2. A buttoner comprising a pair of fiat metal arms, inwardly-bent end portions thereon having tongues 1f and 2 adapted to lap upon each other to form a button-shank-holding opening closed around its edges, substantially as shown.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT S. HOUSTON.

Witnesses:

GEORGE M. FINoKEL, GEORGE W. ALFRED. 

